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1.1 Official guide for GMAT Verbal Review 2nd EditionExcellent for additional verbal practice questions, but don't expect to find any grammar rules or verbal strategies here.Strengths:1. 300 real GMAT questions2. Real GMAT questions retired from past tests3. The practice questions are organized by level of difficulty4. The practice questions follow actual GMAT test patterns - great to have one's ear trained.Weaknesses:1. The book does not contain any strategies2. It does have a few short review sections but they are very weak3. Mostly low and medium difficulty questions. Not very helpful to a person aiming to get above 700.

1.2 GMAT Verbal Bible: A Comprehensive System for Attacking GMAT Verbal QuestionsGreat alternative to Kaplan Verbal Workbook but not as good as dedicated PowerScore books (CR and SC)Strengths+ Great SC Material+ Great CR Material+ Great RC strategies+ Condenses information into all-in-one verbal workbook that competes well against Kaplan GMAT Verbal WorkbookWeaknesses:- Less practice/instruction than SC Book- Less practice/instruction than CR Book- Almost no Reading Comprehension practice (section includes only 2 passages with 4 questions each)- Overall could use more practice questions (true about all PowerScore books)Bottom Line:If you are looking for a great all-in-one Verbal workbook that you can cover in a few weeks, this is a great choice - it condenses 700 pages of PowerScore books into 400. However, minuscule number of practice questions, especially in the RC section, make it unattractive.

1.3 Kaplan GMAT Verbal WorkbookGood Verbal review but only 650-700 level. Specialized books recommended for a higher score.Strengths:1. Realistic strategies for every part of Verbal section2. Useful Idioms and Vocabulary list 3. Good paper and publishing qualityWeaknesses:1. Few hard verbal questions2. Some questions (CR) are not very representative of the "authentic" questions

Other notes: All the practice questions from this book are available on CD-ROM that comes with Kaplan Premier Program

Weaknesses:1. Strategies seem to focus on "tricks" and unrealistic assumptions2. Could use more practice questions3. Generally easy practice questions4. Paper qualityOther notes: The new edition of the main PR book Cracking the GMAT(with DVD) does a much better job at covering the verbal section than this book.

2.1 The PowerScore GMAT Critical Reasoning BibleConsidered the best GMAT book for Critical Reasoning questions.Strengths:1. Clearly divides the CR question types and provides with specific strategy solutions for each type2. Gets the results - this is the most recommended book on GMAT Club for CR3. Well laid out, making learning easy and quickWeaknesses:1. Though more questions are available than in the MGMAT book/online quiz bank, it could still use more practice questionsNote: This book is very similar in terms of strategies or tips to the MGMAT CR book; there is no value in owning bothFor chapter by chapter book notes, see this post: summary-of-the-powerscore-cr-book-82539.html

2.2 Manhattan GMAT Critical ReasoningSecond best - comes with access to MGMAT's 4 online CAT tests yet refers to the OG for practice questionsStrengths:1. Strategies that work2. Explanations to the OG questions are very clear3. Comes with access to 6 online CAT tests (all Manhattan GMAT books have this feature)Weaknesses:1. Requires purchase of OG 11 or Verbal OG. No practice questions in the book - instead it provides reference to questions in the Official Guide2. Online question bank is comparatively small Note: This book is very similar in terms of strategies or tips to the PowerScore CR book; there is no value in owning both

3.1 Manhattan GMAT Sentence Correction Highly recommended. Considered the best book for SC.Strengths:1. Thorough coverage of GMAT grammar concepts2. Convenient layout3. Access to 6 Online MGMAT CAT'sWeaknesses:1. Practice question are not provided but refer to the 11th edition of the Official Guide and the Official Guide SupplementsOther notes: One of the most referenced books for SC on GMAT Club forum.

3.2 The PowerScore GMAT Sentence Correction BibleVery close second book for CR.Strengths:1. In-depth coverage of relevant grammar points 2. Convenient layout, which simplifies reference to needed materialWeaknesses:1. More focus on grammar and rules, less on strategies and methods2. Could use more practice questions

3.3 GMAT Club's Ultimate GMAT GrammarUltimate Grammar Book for the SC section of the GMAT.Strengths:1. All SC areas covered and explained in detail 2. 500+ exercises and 500+ GMAT-like SC questions3. GMAT idioms with explanations and examples, tables, usage, problematic words, etc4. Optional section on punctuation and also section on articles and other often ignored subjects/topics that international students struggle with

Weaknesses1. Not yet - maybe a tad too long - 294 pages. We suspect a few typos may be found

3.4 Kaplan GMAT Verbal FoundationsGreat for non-native speakers and those very rusty with grammar.Strengths:1. Focus on areas that are often disregarded such as Infinitive and Gerund verb usage, modifiers, commonly confused words, etc2. 200 GMAT-style questions and 100+ other questions and quizzes3. 4.5 pages of GMAT Idioms with explanations and examples4. Good section on style - word choice, being concise, being appropriate - esp. what words/contractions not to use

Weaknesses1. Several areas could be strengthened (article usage)2. No index

4.1 Manhattan GMAT Reading ComprehensionWinner by default but deserves high remarks for trying.Strengths:1. The only GMAT book fully dedicated to RC (contains 69 questions)2. Comes with RC passages and questions unlike the other MGMAT materials that only refer to OGWeaknesses:1. Too few practice questions to deliver a significant score improvement

4.2 GRE Prep for RC from Princeton ReviewMight be a good additional material if RC is the stumbling blockStrengths:1. Contains good practice passages and questions for RCWeaknesses:1. Is not designed specifically for GMAT and contains some GRE-specific sections

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17 Jun 2009, 05:08

I'm am planning to begin studying for the GMAT. I would like to start with critical reasoning, as I find it more fun than the other topics. I noticed the PowerScore CR is the most highly recommended, followed by Manhattan as a close second. In looking on Amazon I notice the PowerScore book is dated 2005, and the Manhattan is dated 2009. Is the Manhattan book perhaps preferable due to it being more current? Any tips for a newbie are appreciated also.

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I'm am planning to begin studying for the GMAT. I would like to start with critical reasoning, as I find it more fun than the other topics. I noticed the PowerScore CR is the most highly recommended, followed by Manhattan as a close second. In looking on Amazon I notice the PowerScore book is dated 2005, and the Manhattan is dated 2009. Is the Manhattan book perhaps preferable due to it being more current? Any tips for a newbie are appreciated also.

Thanks so much!Ken

Welcome to the GMATClub Ken!

The reason Manhattan GMAT Book was published in 2009 was to catch up with the new version of the Official Guide 12 edition. Manhattan books use questions from the Official Guide rather than offer their own practice. I would not worry too much about the publication date - both books are excellent and you will do well with either. The strategies and approaches have not changed.
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I have MGMAT SC 2003 edt. Is it advisable to get the latest one. I will get 4 practice test. But i belive the SC rules will be the same. So Not sure. Please advise.

I have gone through the Kaplan MAth + Verbal book. Is it advisable to get the Verbal alone for additional workouts.on the whole i am looking for strong verbal workout book and online exams to calculate my score.

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I have MGMAT SC 2003 edt. Is it advisable to get the latest one. I will get 4 practice test. But i belive the SC rules will be the same. So Not sure. Please advise.

Personally I think the 3rd (for OG11) and 4th (for OG12) editions of Manhattan SC book have a good amount of new content that is quite useful. If you are in the US I would recommend taking a look at it at Borders or Barnes and Noble before buying.

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I have MGMAT SC 2003 edt. Is it advisable to get the latest one. I will get 4 practice test. But i belive the SC rules will be the same. So Not sure. Please advise.

I am not sure how the 1st/2nd edition compares to the 3rd/4th. I know that 3rd and 4th are the same in terms of theory and the only difference are the question references.

If you get the 4th edition, you will need OG 12 to do exercises or OG 11 if you buy the 3rd edition. However, buying any of those editions you will get access to 6 tests. You will most likely gain nothing in terms of grammar. Another option is the PowerScore SC but most argue that it won't add any points either for SC. However, you will get some practice questions - not many but some.

I have gone through the Kaplan MAth + Verbal book. Is it advisable to get the Verbal alone for additional workouts.

Yes. Verbal workbook has a a couple of the practice sets at the end of the book overlap with the exercises on the CD/DVD/Online, but those are only "additional" questions, so you are still getting quite a few questions and great tips - both Math and Verbal Workbook are worth their $15 value in terms of info they provide. However, if you have done Manhattan SC, you probably won't gain much and will cover the SC section in a few days.

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on the whole i am looking for strong verbal workout book and online exams to calculate my score.

Please be specific about the overlap.In my experience the overlap is only for the 3 verbal sets included in the back of the book, which are provided only as additional practice rather than core exercises. All of the strategies, target practice (70% of the book) does not overlap. In my view - the valuable portion of the book does not overlap - please let me know if I am off.
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Please be specific about the overlap.In my experience the overlap is only for the 3 verbal sets included in the back of the book, which are provided only as additional practice rather than core exercises. All of the strategies, target practice (70% of the book) does not overlap. In my view - the valuable portion of the book does not overlap - please let me know if I am off.

Sorry, I should clarify. The overlap is with the practice tests and not with the strategies/appendices/etc.

In the versions of the Kaplan books I have (Verbal Workbook 3rd edition and Premier Program 2006), all of the practice sets (9 sets in Part 3 of the book) overlap with those available in Premier Program CD-ROM.

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11 Jul 2009, 07:37

Thanks for the reply bb!

What if I decide to get a “specialized book” for each of the Verbal sections? Do you still suggest getting a more general Verbal workbook?

For example, do you think it’s useful getting Powerscore’s Verbal Bible if I get the 3 Manhattan GMAT strategy guides? Or would it be a waste since I already have the specialized books which probably cover the same subjects but more in depth?

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What if I decide to get a “specialized book” for each of the Verbal sections? Do you still suggest getting a more general Verbal workbook?

For example, do you think it’s useful getting Powerscore’s Verbal Bible if I get the 3 Manhattan GMAT strategy guides? Or would it be a waste since I already have the specialized books which probably cover the same subjects but more in depth?